Bow Tie Pasta with Roasted Bell Peppers

Overview
A simple bow tie pasta made with roasted bell peppers and onions. The roasted bell peppers adds a delicate smoky flavor to this pasta. I have used olive oil and fresh minced garlic to enhance the  taste. As an optional ingredient you can also add grated Parmesan cheese to this.

Bow Tie Pasta with Roasted Bell Pepper

Ingredients for Bow Tie Pasta with Roasted Bell Pepper

Ingredients
Dry bow tie pasta - 1 1/2 cup
Roasted red pepper sliced- 1/2 cup
Red Onions thin sliced - 1 medium size onion
Garlic - 5 - 6 cloves thin sliced
Dried basil leaves  - 2 tablespoons
Olive oil 3 tablespoons
Red Pepper flakes 1 - 2 tablespoons

Steps
1. Bring a gallon of water in a heavy bottom pot to boil. Add salt and a tablespoon of oil to this and mix well. Add to this boiling water the dry pasta. Cook on medium heat till the pasta is cooked about 10 minutes. do not over cook the pasta. Drain pasta and keep aside.
2. In a pan heat the oil. When the oil gets hot add the sliced garlic to this. Saute till the garlic turns light brown. Add the red crushed pepper flakes and saute for 1 - 2 minutes.
3. Add the sliced onions to this and saute few minutes till the onions are soft. Add the sliced roasted pepper to this and mix well. Add salt as needed and the dry basil leaves and the cooked pasta. Mix well. Turn off heat and serve. You can also add grated Parmesan cheese t this.

Vallarikka Sambar (Yellow Cucumber Sambar)

Overview
A very simple sambar recipe made with fresh ingredients. Vallarikka  are yellow cucumbers we find plenty in Kerala, India. A refreshing side dish that goes well with rice. I did not use any Dal in this sambar but to thicken the gravy I have used roasted ground coconut which adds nice aroma and flavor.

Vallarikka Sambar

Vallarikka Sambar Ingredients

Ingredients
Vallarika cut into thick 2 inch pieces about 1 1/2 cups
Fresh grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Whole red chillies - 4 - 6
Whole coriander  - 3 -4 tablespoons
Fenugreek seeds 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Asafoetida powder 1 teaspoon
Tamarind about a tablespoon
Turmeric powder - 3/4 teaspoon
2 tablespoons oil

To Garnish
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
Curry leaves 2 sprigs
Whole red chillies cut into 2 inch pieces - 2  - 3

Steps
1. Soak the tamarind in half cup warm water for about 30 minutes and squeeze and drain and get the tamarind water and keep aside.
2. Cook the Vallarikka in 1 cup water, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder and salt till it is cooked well and keep aside.
3. Heat a heavy bottom pan and dry roast the red chillies, coriander, fenugreek seeds and cumin seeds one after the other and keep it aside to cool to room temperature. Once cooled grind these roasted ingredients in a coffee grinder to a smooth powder. Mix the asaofoetida powder to the is and mix well.
4. In the same pan and oil. When the oil gets hot add the fresh grated coconut to this and fry it on low flame till the coconut turns golden brown. Add the ground spices with 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder to the coconut and fry few more minutes. Turn off heat and let this roasted coconut mixture cool to room temperature.
5. Add the roasted coconut mixture to blender and grind to a smooth paste with half cup warm water. Add this mixture to the cooked Vallarika . Add the prepared tamarind juice to this. Mix well and add about a cup of water and mix everything together and bring it to boil.  Add salt as needed. Turn off heat.
6. In another pan heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil gets hot add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add the whole red chilly pieces and curry leaves to it. Turn off heat and pour the mixture over the prepared sambar.

Serve hot over rice.

Kerala Fried Chciken

Overview
Spicy fried chicken  that can be prepared with few simple ingredients. Curry leaves fried with the chicken add s a very nice aroma to the chicken. Can be served as an appetizer with onion salad. There are many recipes for Kerala fried chicken this is one that my whole family likes.

Kerala Fried Chicken

Ingredients

Ingredients
One pound chicken skinned and cut into small pieces
One teaspoon ginger paste
One teaspoon garlic paste
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Cayenne powder - 1 teaspoon
Black pepper powder -  1 teaspoon
Curry eaves 3 sprig
Green chillies split at center - 4 or 5
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Steps
1. Mix all the spice powders with salt and ginger garlic paste and marinate for about 2 hours.
2. Heat oil in a pan to deep fry the chicken. When the oil gets hot  add few curry leaves and then the pieces of chicken. Fry on low flame so the chicken gets crispy and cooked inside. keep turning the chicken pieces so all sides are browned well.
3. In the same oil fry the green chillies.
5. Serve the fried chicken with the fried curry leaves and fried green chillies.

Blueberry Banana Bread

Overview
A simple delicious bread to make when you have overripe bananas. Blueberries adds a nice sweetness and texture to this moist bread. The whole loaf has just one egg and 3 tablespoon of oil so is low in fat. Serve this warm blueberry banana bread for breakfast or for tea.

Blueberry Banana Bread

Ingredients
2 cusp all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 large ripe bananas mashed
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups blueberries

Steps
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease the loaf pan and keep aside.
2. Mash the ripe bananas
3. In a large bowl mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add egg and 3 tablespoons of oil and vanilla extract to it. Add the mashed banana and mix well. Fold in the blueberries with a spatula till all the blueberries and mixed well. Pour batter in the loaf pan.
4. Bake at 350 F for about 60 minutes till a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Serve warm.

Red Spinach Stir Fry (Chuvanna Cheera Thoran)

Overview
Red Spinach is found plenty in Kerala in addition to the green spinach and is very nutritious and tasty. This is a very simple stir fry with few ingredients and fresh grated coconut that can be served as a side for any rice or bread. Fresh grated coconut is a Kerala specialty which does adds a nice texture and flavor. This is the first time I got Red Spinach from Indian store so had to make this dish.

Red Spinach Stir Fry (Chuvanna Cheera Thoran)

Ingredients

Ingredients
Washed and finely chopped red spinach - 4 cups
One red onion finely chopped
Half cup freshly grated coconut
One tablespoon finely chopped garlic
Half teaspoon turmeric powder
Crushed red pepper 2 - 3 tablespoon
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs optional
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tablespoon

Steps
1. Wash the red spinach leaves several times in water and finely chop and keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan. When the oil gets hot add the finely chopped red onions and garlic to it. Saute till the onions are light brown.
3. Add the turmeric powder and crushed red pepper to this and saute few minutes. Add curry leaves  and stir few minutes and then add the finely cut red spinach to this with salt. Mix well cover pan with lid and simmer till the spinach is cooked. Open lid and stir till all liquid is evaporated.
4. Add fresh grated coconut and mix well. Keep stirring till the coconut is well mixed with the spinach and all the liquid has evaporated. Turn off heat.

Serve hot with any rice or bread.

Dried Mango Pickle

Overview
Drying and preserving raw mangoes is very common in Kerala since Mango is a very common fruit we find through out the state. These dried raw mangoes are then used in many curries and pickles. I got these dried mangoes from India when I visited my parents. Dried mango pickle has a very unique and strong flavor very different than the raw mango pickle.

Dried Mango Pickle

Dried Mango Pickle Ingredients

Ingredients
Dried mango - 3/4 cup
Boiled water 1 cup
White Vinegar - 1/2 cup
Garlic cloves - 2 tablespoons
Ginger 1 tablespoon
Curry eaves 3 sprigs
Turmeric 1 teaspoon
Red Chilly powder - 3 tablespoon
Fenugreek powder 1 teaspoon
Brown sugar - 2 - 3 tablespoons
Asafoetida powder - 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Oil - 3 tablespoons

Steps
1. Dry roast the fenugreek seeds and grind to a smooth powder and keep aside.
2. Boil one cup of water. Turn off heat. Add Vinegar to this and soak the dried mangoes for 1 - 2 hours till the mango slices are soft.
3. Grind the garlic, ginger, red chilly powder and turmeric to a smooth paste with little water and keep aside.
4. Heat oil in a pan. When the oil gets hot add the ground garlic ginger paste with spices to it and saute till the oil separates. Add curry leaves are fry few more minutes. Add the soaked mango slices with water and vinegar to this.
5. Add the fenugreek powder and asfoetida powder along with brown sugar and salt and mix well. Bring this mixture to boil. Turn off heat.  Brown sugar is added to balance the flavor of sourness so add brown sugar and salt as needed to adjust flavor,

Let it cool to room temperature and store in a clean jar.

Muringayila (drumstick leaves) Parippu curry

Overview
An authentic Kerala dish made with drumstick leaves. This is one of my favorite dishes that my mother used to make. Back in Kerala we had a drumstick tree in our yard so my mother use to make this often. I got fresh drumstick leaves from the Indian grocery store so had to make this dish. A very nutritious and healthy dish that goes well with plain rice or chapatti. The bark of the drumstick tree has the horseradish taste and  is ground to paste  and used in many dishes and hence the drumstick tree is also called the horseradish tree.

Muringayila Parrippu Curry

Ingredients
Toor Dal ( or split yellow peas) - 1/2 cup
Drumstick leaves all stems and vein's removed - 2 cups
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Chilly powder - 1 teaspoon
Fresh grated coconut - 3/4 cup
Garlic cloves - 3
Whole red chillies broken into 2 inch pieces- 3 - 4
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Mustard seeds - 1 tables spoon
Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Oil - 2 tablespoon
Salt to taste.

Steps
1. Wash the cleaned drumstick leaves in plenty of water, drain and keep aside.
2. Cook the toor dal is 1 1/2 cup water till is cooked well in pressure cooker.
3. Once the dal is cooked. Add the drumstick leaves to this with 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder, chilly powder and salt and cook well till the leaves are cooked.
4. In a blender grind the fresh grated coconut along with garlic, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder and 1/2 cup warm water to a smooth paste.
5. Add this ground coconut to the cooked dal and dal and drum stick leaves and bring it to a boil. Turn off heat.
6. In another pan heat the 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil gets hot add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. add the fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, red whole chillies and curry leaves to this. turn off heat and pour this oil mixture over the prepared curry.

Serve hot with plain rice or chapatti